Distortion Festival 2012

you know what you need to do? 

you need to write a review of the distortion festival almost two months after you went.  

okay.

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Niels Bohr kicks it in Copenhagen

30 May to 3 June, 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe, the world 

In 5 days, the “celebration of Copenhagen’s nightlife” aka the South by Southwest of Europe, aka a roving street party that systematically destroys and enlivens successive neighborhoods in this modest Scandinavian city, you can hear bands, you can hear DJs, you can get really drunk, you can get really high, and you can hear the sounds of tomorrow. I heard of it when reading about Iceage, who broke big at the Dogmeat Showcase during Distortion 2011.

action then lights

Chosen night is Thursday, May 31 in Norrebro, Spillestedet Stengade, with the subheading NOISE. Hosted by Posh Isolation, this show featured Helm, Dig og Mig, Age Coin, Forza Albino, Lust for Youth, Puce Mary, Vanity Productions and Euroboys. 11:30 pm arrival and I ask the tall, blonde (nooo, here?) next to me where we are in the lineup, we are watching Helm, sitting before a mixer, lit by Christmas lights, drone away. Find a nice review of his album here.  So standing, drink in hand, watching Luke Younger manipulate and obfuscate the aural landscape, Danish guy introduces himself thus “I’m M____....yeah I’m on ecstasy right now.”  And this is just in the first 15 minutes. Other tidbits of wisdom, reactions to my first time in Scandinavia, are “It’s your first time in Scandinavia? You know what you should do... you should get really drunk.”

Lust for Youth followed Helm, which is more my taste when it comes to the spacey, go-where-your-mind-takes-you sonic release that noise should be.  Tending more toward dark wave/post punk, they played tracks from the album Solar Flare.  From Sweden, it’s a boy-girl duo that are the soundtrack to your walk around a melancholy dark city at night, wearing lots of black and not expecting to see the sun.

final party